Gothlight
by ImDiffrentSoWhat
Summary: HIATUS. Their were only three things I knew. First, Edward was truly a vampire. Second, there was a part of him, I didn't know how strong it may be, that wanted my blood. And third, I was in love with him. Gothic rewrite of Twilight.
1. Preface

"_History was written by those who hanged the heroes."_

_-Braveheart._

I had spent my life fascinated by death. The final thing that unites us all, I knew of all the ways to die. From a silent death in sleep surround by those you love, to extreme torture of your flesh for secrets or revenge.

I know that my death will save someone else, someone who would not do the same for me yet I don't care.

I watched my soon to be murder's eyes, he almost seemed pleasant. This was nothing personal, just the gnawing hunger compelling him to act, nature running it's course.

I know that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be here. I'd be safe and sound in my room at Phoenix. Yet I don't wish to be in my room, these choices also brought me to an angel. A dark angel who understood me.

My murder almost appeared friendly as he stalked the rest of the way tword me.


	2. Dark insight

**Okay pepole, for those of you who are reading my story of Can you forgive me? and have read the new chapter you know what I'm about to say. I'm going to try this new thing of taking longer to write a chapter but having longer chapters. I'd do it in a cycle, as of now it'd first be Can you forgive me? then Gothlight wich is now and finnally Another Creature and that'd be it and the cycle repeat. But I want to know after I do the long chapter for Another Creauter that I promised I want to know do you guys perfer of two things. Should I update every few days but the chapters be short? Or should I take awhile to finish a chapter but it be long. **

**Now keep in mind for this story I litterly have the Twilight book right beside me on the bed and my cell phone is holding it up and I'm interperting the best I can, so that means no matter what you decide the chapters for this series will always be about as long only the time it takes to update will change.**

**Okay now that where done with that, I just want to thank all of you. I know thier are probaly a whole bunch of better alternatnet Twilight fics out thier then mine, but it means alot when you read it. Happy reading!**

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My mother drove me to the airport where I would finally be free. Free of Phenoix and it's never ending cloundless blue skys and on going heat. I was wearing one of the items I would be glad I wouldn't have to wear again, a sleevless white eyelet lace top. I was wearing brown pants and flip flops with it. When I looked at myself in the mirror I couldn't belive what I saw, I didn't look like me.

Needless to say my mother had been happy, my carry-on item was a parka, stuffed into it was a pair of black skinny jeans, a My Chemical Romance shirt and eyeliner.

In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exests. A small town that is perfect for me, almost always under a cloud. Gloomy, gloomy and perfect. It is said to be the rainest place in America.

It was from here my mother ran away carring me when I was too younge to know what was going on and to protest, only a few months old.

Yet a month every summer I was allowed to come back to this beautiful place. Their was an old abandoned mansion a bit out of town that by the time I was ten I'd go and explor, it was beautiful. That was until I turned fourteen when my mom had found out where I spent my day while Charlie was at work. She had been livid and pleaded to the court that it was unfit for me to be their.

I had cried then, my eyeliner had ran nown my cheecks in a way that, if I hadn't been so sad, I thought was cool.

My dad had been sad to, he loved Forks and that I enjoyed it. He hadn't ever understood my love for the dark but he accepted it wich was more then I could say for my mother. But thanks to her he would come up for a two week vacation in California for me for the last three years.

Now I am moving to Forks. My mother married a younger guy, a baseball player and I took that as the chance to leave. She didn't care at all, she never did when she had a guy with her. I figured since they were married it'd buy me some time, about two months after she had forbidden me to go to Forks she started dating a guy. I took the anichitive to leave for Forks then, she was more then happy to comply.

That had been one of the greatest months of my life, unfortently right before we shipped off the school papers, she had called. Apparently they broke up and she wanted me to live with her. I wasn't dumb, I had fought, she unfortently thought of this and said that she thought I meant for the summer, not to stay.

"Goodbye sweetheart." My mom, Reene, mumbles to me barly paying attention.

I am surprised one last time of how much my mom looks like me. Except her hair is dyed blonde and short, laugh lines and her blue eyes are child like while my eyes are brown.

"Bye mom, love you." She barly gives a nod in answer and I left for the flight.

In the four hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle felt like a chain was slowly relasing me. The hour flight in a small plane up to Port Angeles even better. The hour drive from Port Angeles to Forks was the best.

Charlie was beyond happy that I was moving. He didn't say it but we both felt no need to talk that much either. He knew I had been trying to get to Forks since Renee had decided she wanted me to stay full time in Phenoix.

When I arrived I saw it was raining, joyus rain. I wouldn't feel the sun slowly baking me anymore. Thank you Forks, I love you.

My dad, Charlie, was waiting for me. He's chief of police so I couldn't do anything mager or chief Swan would know about it.

He quickly gave me a hug and we were on our way.

"I found a good car for you, really cheap." I smiled, my own car? That is a dream come true.

"What kind of car?"

"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy." I smiled excitedly, I didn't know much about cars but I knew that you could hit Chevys with a tank and it wouldn't take them out.

"How cheap is cheap?" I asked, I only have a certain amount of money that I could spend on it.

"Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." he peeked at me just in time for a huge smile to spread on my face.

Wow. Free. Possibly one of the best cars out their, and it's free.

"You didn't need to do that, dad. I was going to buy myself a car." I said, I was grateful that he'd do that for me but I just didn't like people spending money on me.

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He wasn't looking at me then, he was staring out the window. Charlie wasn't one for voicing his feelings.

"That's really nice of you, dad. Thanks, but you should know that I am happy here." I was staring out the window to but I flashed a smile at him.

"No problem, Bells, I got it from the Blacks. You remember them don't you?"

"Yeah, how could I ever forget?" The Blacks where like family. Charlie and Billy, the father, had been best friends since they where younge kids. Billy's wife had died when the children were younge. Their where three of them, a older girl who never really bothered with me and I never bothered with her, a girl my age named Rachel I sometimes played with, and a boy named Jacob I used to make mud pies with.

When I saw the truck I felt even better about my deciosion. It was beautiful, it was one of those iron clad trucks you see from an accident. Paint not even scratched, the rements of the opposing car scattered haphazardly around it.

"Wow, dad, I love it! Thanks!" Charlie looked surprised, he knew I wasn't one for verbose outburst any more then he was so he knew I must really love it.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.

It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the black walls-that Charlie painted for a surprise when I came here the summer that I was thirteen, I had probably thanked him fifty times a day that summer and emailed my thanks about a month after I went back to my mother.- the peaked ceiling, the deep burgundy purple/red curtains that were almost black. Charlie had put a second hand computer on my old withering cherry wood desk.

There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie, it's not that I mind at all. Compared to the creeps that Renee had dated I much perfered my own father.

Another wicked trait with Charlie other then his acceptence of who I am all though he dosnt really understand it is that he dosnt hover. He left me alone to unpack and get settled, something both me and Charlie were more than capable of doing but renee couldn't to save her life.

Forks high school has a total of three hundred and fifty seven-now fifty eight- students; their were more then seven humdred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids had grown up together-their grandparents had probably even been toddlers together. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity and a freak.

I atleast know that pretty soon the curiosity will ware away. I will always remain a freak, _the goth girl with the heavily eyelined eyes and black lipstick_, but I didn't care, this was how I espressed myself and no one will change that.

I don't even look like a girl from pheniox "should", I wasn't tan or blonde or sporty. I was naturally pale and my dark clothes, dyed black hair and dark eyes only added to my paleness. I am slender but soft, but I can hold myself easily in a fight. It is quiet a curiosity in itself, I am probably the most clumsy person on the planet yet when it's a real fight I'm graceful as a swan.

I didn't relate well to people my age, heck I didn't relate well to people period. I often have wondered if I saw the same thing everyone else saw, or is their a glitch in my brain.

I fell asleep gently that night, the rain a soothing sound to me. I dreamt of finding a group of people who liked me, not to many, I was a loner by nature, but a few would be okay perhaps five others. People who honestly got me, who understood and was on the same page as me. I know that this is a vain hope, that I wont find anyone like this and it wasn't any use to watch my dreams fall away. A girl can dream though, litteraly.

A thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and it looked wicked! It reminds me of the samuri video games I used to play with my couisons. I used to spend the few days it was foggy in summer when I visited here playing, around the mansion that was like my own sercret personal play area, pretending I was either a ninja or samuri or some other thing depending on my mood.

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school, I thanked him. No need for him to know that I wouldn't ever make a friend, I didn't have any friends in Phenoix either, it was just one thing I have to give up for so much more. Plus I've never been one who luck just jumps up and holds on, like those pepole who have everything and don't need to worry about anything and they _never _let others forget, I make my own luck. Moving here is a first rate example of that.

Charlie left first, off to the police station it was like his wife and family he had pored all of his feelings into his job after my cowardly mother hightailed it out of here.

I chewed on my cerial while I took in my surrondings. I was sitting at an old square oak table in one of the three unlatching chairs. The kitchen had dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and a white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. Renee had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine in the house, I'm glad she kept her destructive tastes to one room.

Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchif-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and Renee in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those are embarrassing to look at, really what seventeen year old can see a picture of when she was five and have any viseters looking at them and be okay? But I wont ask Charlie to take them down, for the last sixteen and some months of my life besides my month visit here every year, shortened to one week after I was fourteen, these pictures where all he had of his one and only child. How could I ask him to take them down, it's not like I'd have any friends coming in to see them to get embarrassed around.

Charlie had never gotton over Renee. It is easy to see from the way he still holds onto their wedding photo, how he has never talked about a girlfriend when I visited or the phone calls we'd always try but never really work since niether of us are prone talkers. Even though Renee is a flake and irresponsible and Charlie deserves so much more he still hasn't gotton over her.

Was it a mistake to come here, will me being her just remind Charlie of the one woman he has ever loved used to love him back is gone forever now? I don't want to be an unnessery and painful reminder to Charlie.

Their isn't anything I can do for it now, so I simply put on my coat and headed out into the rain.

It was just drizzling when I got out of the house. I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up. I enjoyed the sloshing of the water from my new waterproof boots that I was wearing over my converse, it was so much better then the crunch of gravel as I walked.

Inside the truck was nice and dry, Charlie or Billy had probably cleaned it up. It still faintly smelled of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top bolume. The antique radio worked even if it didn't have the best reception.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most of the things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop, it looked like a collection of matching houses, built with marron-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see it's size at first. Where was the feel of institution? Where were the chain-like fences, the metal detecters?

Obviously their aren't as many trouble makers here. That presented both good and bad predicments. On one hand it wont be as much fun as either laughing when idiots get caught doing things or impressed when they pull something big off without a hitch. But it wont take forever to get into the flippen building like it was in Pheniox.

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the dorr reading FRONT OFFICE. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it's off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around the school like an idiot and probably being late. I stepped out of the tosty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.

Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I hope'd. the office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-fleaked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered withwire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt.

The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?" She stared at me and I could see the assesment in here eyes. Trouble.

"I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awarness light her eyes. I was being expected, I'm a topic of town gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief's flacky, flighty, ex-wife, come home at last. I wonder when they'll get tired of it and back off from me. It'll be intresting and could be my thesis in collage. How long will it take the people of a small quiet town who gossip to stop intrest in a new comer who is different from all of them?

"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter to show me.

She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have earch teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could. How dumb does this woman think I am? She went through all the classes with me because she probably didn't want the Chief of Police gunning for her, like I would ever bring anything to Charlie. I loved him but he's a dad, not much he can do. She obviously wanted the teachers signature because she thinks I'll skip. Why would I skip? It only delays the work I'll eventully do anyway.

By the time I got back into my truck other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I'm glad to see that most of the cars are older like mine, nothing flashy. At Phenoix I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Vally District. It was common to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. And most of the students were snobby about it, especially whichever girls came home with new noses in the fall. the nicest care here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.

I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, with the map folded into my pocket just in case, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, it's not like anyone's going to bite me. I just wasn't really good at metting people, but I forced myself out of the truck.

I kept my face pulled back into the hood of my jacket as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. My plain black jacket didn't stick out, it would only look different if you saw the front that had Sick Puppies on it.

Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black "3" was painted on a white square on the east corner. I felt my breating gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I tried to hold my breath as two unisex rain coats entered the building. This is it, the moment everyone would see me and then a gradual back off. This one moment will be the hardest.

The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girls one a porcelain-colored blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. At least my skin wouldn't be a standout in here like in Pheniox.

I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name, and of course I flushed tomato red. Lucky it was hidden behind my Bloody Mary powder so it probably was barly pink. But atleast he allowed me an empty desk in the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but somehow they managed. I kept my eyes down reading the list the teacher had given me. It was farly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything. That was comforting…yet also incredibly boring. I wondered if my mom would send me my folder of old essays, or if she would think that was cheating. I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on. It's not like it'd not end the same way, ten to one she's already thrown out everything I couldn't take with me here to make room for her new hubby and her fickle ways.

When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as oil lick leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type. I don't usully like lables but so far he's proving me right.

"Bella," I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me.

"Where's your next class?" he asked.

"I had to check in my bag. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."

There was nowhere to look without meeting curiouse eyes.

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…." Defeintly over-helpful. "I'm Eric," he added.

I smiled tentivly. "Thanks."

We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hope I'm not getting paranoid.

"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked.

"Very."

"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"

"Three or four times a year."

"wow, what must that be like?" he wondered. Ha! The guy doesn't know how good he has it.

"Sunny," I told him.

"You don't look very tan.""My mother is part albino."

He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked like he and a sense of humor weren't on first name basis. "It's called sarcasm, lighten up." I sighed, if everyone in this school was like him I'd lose my sarcasm super powers.

We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, even though it was clearly marked.

"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful.

I smiled at him vaugly and went inside.

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who I would have hated anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself.

"So your name is Isabella, what do you like to be called? Izzy?"

"No, Bella." I told him already hating him more and more with each passing second.

"Do you have anything you like everyone in class to know?" He asked, I almost said no but changed my mind at the last minute.

"Just that I'll be the end of anyone who messes with me." I said and walked to my seat. It was so cool, like the fucken matrix or something.

After two classes, I started to recognize several faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I mostly told the truth of how much I loved it, but I did lie a lot when they asked me about my classmates. I didn't even know these people, how am I supposed to give an opion on any of them?

One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter then my five feet four inches, but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. She was wearing a extremely short shorts that she had to freeze in when she went outside, and one of those overpriced Hollister shirts that anyone who wears them insists they aren't slutty but we all know they are. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded ass she prattled about teachers and classes. I didn't even try to keep up.

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. The boy from English, Erick, waved at me from across the room.

Is was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, which I was grateful to each of them for. It was safe to look at them without metting a pair of interested eyes, but it was none of these that caught and held my attention.

They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big-muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was talller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He wore a long slevee tight black shirt and baggy pants with chains. He was more boyish that the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather that students.

The girls were oppisites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the _Sports Illustrated_ swimsuit issue, something I had seen too many times around my house growing up with Renee crying out "why can't I look like this anymore?" I have long since stoped feeling guilty for it. The girl's hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The short girl was oddly pixie like, thein in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this small sunless town. They may even be paler then me, the albino. They all have very dark eyes, despite the range in hair tones. They also have dark shadows under those eyes-purplish, bruise like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their fetures, were straight and perfectly angular.

But all this is not why I couldn't look away.

They were all looking away, away from everything. It was like they all where in their own world.

"Who are _they?" _I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.

As she looked up to see who I meant-though already knowing, probably my tone-suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his beautifully black eyes flickered to my own brown lined in eyelined eyes.

He looked away quickly, much faster then I've ever seen anyone move. The way he looked at the girl though, it was as if she had called his name and he looked up out of habit.

The girl next to me giggled, whether from the boy who just looked at us looking at her first or from my embaressment I don't know. Heck with the way she was she could just be giggling for the sake of giggling. I hate gigglers, not the people who's laugh sounds like a giggle, they can't help it. I hate girls who giggle and talk like a baby doll on purpose because they think it's cute. That shit is annoying.

"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one that's left is Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said all this under her breath, like it was some big secret she'd be punished if she told.

Those names were strange and unpopular. Kind of like how I am, strange and soon I will be unpopular. I know they all have each other so they wont want and outsider among them, yet still it will be nice to know that in some form I'm not alone. Still their names where so old fashioned, grandparents names not that I had much room to talk, Isabella is a pretty old name to. But aren't people born in small town supposed to have generic names? I finally remembered that this girls name is Jessica. I common name, back in my history class in Phenoix their were two girls named Jessica.

"They look nice." I said, I meant it for their personalities, they didn't seem to be mean or anything, just perfered to be alone like I do.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle, obviously she took my comment as for their physical apperance I rolled my eyes but she didn't see. "They're all _together_ though-Emmett and Rosalie and Jasper and Alice, I mean. and they _live_ together." She looked so disgusted.

"Which ones are the Cullens?" I asked, because unless the two Hales are toghther then theirs a chance that it's not incises.

"None of them are related, only the Hales who are brother and sister, twins-the blondes-and their all adopted foster children.

"They look a little old for foster children." I had to admit, it wasn't that hard to belive that there are some older kids in foster care but it was hard for me to accept. Always moving around, getting to like people then having to move away again, it cant be an easy life.

"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."

"That's really sweet-for them to take care of those kids like that, when the they're so younge and everything." It is sweet, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen couldn't have been more then newly weds if that when they took those kids in. To take on that kind of responsibility voluntarily when they didn't have to is one of those things when you see that the world does have good people in it.

"I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, it seemed like she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason. "I think Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added as if that lessened their kindeness. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut but seriously if she's going to imply unkind things about someone atleast have the guts and decency to say it when they can defend themselves.

"Why would it matter if she can have kids or not?" I turned and allowed my full hatred into my eyes.

"Well…she can't have kids so….it's not like she'd have her own so takeing them was really for her." Jessica said eyes widening.

"Taking them was really for her?" I asked disbelievingly. "Come on, your not that stupid."

She looked at me blankly. The girl really had no idea of what life was really like, did she? Well time for a cruel wake up call, my specialty.

"Maybe you don't know this, but not everyone's lucky enough to have loving parents who take care of them. And wheather or not she has the ability to bear children dosnt mean it was kind of her to take so many kids in when she was so younge. And from what you say none of the couples are actually related so theirs no reason to have that disgust in your tone. One more thing, if your going to spread gossip, spread it far from me because I cant stand gossipers." I was about to get when I heard laughing. The big guy, either Edward or Emmett was laughing and so was the short pixie girl, Alice I think. The lanky boyish boy and the blondes where staring at them. The blonde boy, Jasper turned to me and mouthed "Thank you" right to me, I just gave a nod. Did the whole cafeteria hear me? That's actually good, that way it's like a cafetira filled with birds with one stone. I'm sure Jessica the Gossiper will get the message around that I'm not to be trifled with.

"Your as bad as the rest of them, especially the one with reddish brown hair, Edward. He's gorges, obviously, but he dosnt date, noen of the girls here are goodlooking enough for him." I smirked and raised and eyebrow to let her know I wasn't fooled, that comment was completely sour grapes. I wonder when he turned her down. As I got up to throw away my trash he was looking away and his cheeck was lifted as if he was smiling to.

When I finished throwing my trash away I saw him looking at me with a look of unmet expection on his face then he quickly turned. I shrugged and went outside to a little bench outside the cafetira but still under the roof and pulled out a book.

I kept a good watch on time, I don't want to be late for my classes on the first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela, had Biology ll with me the next hour. We walked to class toghther, she was shy to. I could tell that my apperance was strange to her, I was wearing a Sick Puppies jacket over a skull shirt and black skinny jeans and had a spiked collar.

When I walked in Angela noded a polite goodbye and went to sit with the boy who sat with her. All the seats where taken except for one. The one next to none other then Edward Cullen.

Something strange happened when I walked past him to get my slip signed. He went rigid and looked at me with such anger I was beside myself. What could I have possibly done to him to make him look like he wanted to murder me.

The teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my slip and me a book without, bless his heart, any nonsense of introductions.

I didn't look at him as I sat my books down and sat as far from him as the table would allow. I saw him from the corner of my eye, he was looking straight ahead and his face looked as if he smelled somthign rotten.

I pulled my hair close to my face and took a sniff. It smelled of one of my favorit shampoo, strawberrys. What did this guy get sick from strawberrys or something, or lavender wich I was the scent of my soap.

I allowed my hair to become a protective curtiain. I may think that it's sweet his parents adopted him and that he and his family didn't deserve to be gossiped about but that didn't mean I am not ticked at him. I don't know why he looks like he's in pain to be around me .

The lecture didn't help much, it was about cellular anatomy, I already did learned that and it's boring. I doddled instead, I'm no pacosso but I can draw.

Tick, tick, tick. That's all the stupid clock kept doing but it was taking forever. Come on you stupid bell! Ring!

The bell did finally ring and he was out of the classroom like a bat out of hell. What is the guys problem?

While I was getting up I heard a male voice. "Aren't you Isabella Swan?"

"I looked up to see a baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. If I went for the gold type I might even think he's cute. At least he dosnt think I smell bad.

"Bella," I corrected trying to smile at him. Looks like I'll love the town but hate school, no matter at Phenoix I hated school _and _home, this is far better.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi, Mike."

"Do you need any help finding you next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I'm pretty sure I can find it on my own."

"That's my next class, too!" He apperead a little too happy by that coincidence.

We walked to class toghther, pretty much because I couldn't think of a legitement excuse and wasn't up for a fight. I was right to do that; this boy can talk. He supplied most of the conversation, he had lived in California till he was ten, but the main diffrence was he loved the sun and I hated it.

"So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that." So this is why Mike was talking to me, for gossip.

"I don't know why he was acting like that."

"The Cullens are all weird." He supplied probably hoping to make me feel better.

"Aren't we all?" I asked, he looked confused by what I said. "See you around." I spoke before ducking into the girls locker room, of course they wouldn't get what I was saying.

I got my uniform but Coauch Clapp didn't make me dress for today, I just walked around the gym as everyone played vollyball. After gym I went to the office to give my slip.

Their standing in front of the desk was none other then Edward Cullen. He was trying to get his scheduel changed. I was shocked to see him and he just looked at me then turned to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then. I can see that it's impossible, thank you so much for your help." I was stunned, no one in this generation besides me ever spoke so conceteritly. Even as he walked out I had a distinct feeling, he's a _gentleman_.

The reciptionest turned to me. "How did your first day go, dear?" She asked in a fake maternal tone.

"Really good." It wasn't a lie, besides the gossipers and the eccentric Edward Cullen wanting me dead it is good.

I left the office and went to my truck, it roared to life and I drove back home. Telling myself that this is better then Pheniox. In a way it isn't but mostly it is.


	3. Phenomenal

The next day was even better then the first.

It wasn't raining but the clouds seemed to be a silent promise of that it would soon. I also know what to expect today, I know after interest is lost in about a few weeks everyone will leave me alone, till then I'll just grin and bear it.

Mike came to sit by me in English, the whole time I just kind of paid more attention to my book. I'm not judgmental but I know what kind of guy Mike is, he is the golden boy I've seen hundreds of them. The all-star in a sport, dates all the girls and is confident he can get any girl he wants. And I'm not just going by his blonde hair and blue eyes, or his Forks Football jacket or his stupid smirk that some girls find attractive.

I was going by what he said, did, and the way he conducted himself. When the overly helpful chess club guy…Eric? Yes Eric, when he was glaring at him Mike did a "I know I'm bad" smirk and tried to put his arm around me. I blocked this with a quick sweep that knocked his arm down.

"Sorry, a fly was bothering me." I used my black hair to hide the fact that I was laughing when that idiot actually believed me. Don't Jocks usually hate Goths, that's how it was in my old school. Perhaps since it's obvious that they don't get new blood much and it doesn't matter if she's a freak or not.

I want to know what is up with Edward Cullen. What is his problem when I didn't do anything to him. The second I get a chance to talk to him I'm going to fly off on him so badly. Grr…that guy annoys me, more then anyone has ever been able to do before. No ones ever been able to do that to me, I don't understand. Their have been plenty of people who have annoyed me but I wouldn't think about it a minute after they left. I have been thinking about Edward Cullen for the last few weeks. No one has effected me like this, ever.

But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica-keeping my eyes down while sweeping the cafeteria for my target for the earful that has been steadily building inside me for almost twenty four hours-I saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.

Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed not to mind at all being herded like cattle, in fact she seemed to elate in the attention. She stood straight as an arrow pushing her chest out as she fiddled with her hair and gave Mike a sexy smile. I, however, despised this.

The lunch hour was spent with Jessica giving the report on gossip. Who was sleeping with who, who was pregnant, who was cheating on their girlfriend. What girls where dressed like a slut (has Jessica looked in a mirror? She's wearing a micro skirt and a tank top, I like the cold but it's got to be forty five degrees this morning.) Who's doing drugs. All of that, it was so annoying.

I walked to biology confident that he must be absent today. Mike, seeming not willing to give up and go with the much more willing Jessica, followed me to class talking adamantly of some kind of sport or other. I walked into the classroom and Edward Cullen wasn't their, I went to my seat. Mike followed, switching from whatever sport he was talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He lingered by my desk, doing stud like poses somewhat subtly, until the bell rang. He went to sit by a girl with braces and a mom-job perm. Mike seems to be a problem.

In a town like this diplomacy is essential, it is one of the few things I would change about this town. I have never been enormously tactful; no one associated with me so their was no one to be tactful _with_. I have no practice with boys who don't get the hint that following you around won't work.

I was relived that I had the desk to myself, that I had some form of my precious solitude.

But I don't seem to be able to get rid of this nagging feeling. It feels like that something was telling me, somehow, that Edward Cullen's absence was because of me. It is ridiculous and egotistical to think that I have so much power over anybody. Yet some part of me refused to accept this, some part buried deep down in my subconscious.

When the school day was finally over with, wicked town or not school always sucks, I changed back into my black skinny jeans and Evanescence band shirt. I left the girl's locker room happy that I had avoided Mike. I walked out to the parking lot, it was crowed with students so much I had to push a little. Once I got into my truck I checked to make sure I had everything I needed.

Last night I had discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon, and TV dinners. I had requested to have kitchen duty so we could actually have substance without the house burning down. He was more then willing to hand over the key to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house, obviously the man doesn't eat at home much. So I have my shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled Food Money, and am on my way to the Thrift Way.

I gunned the engine and smiled sweetly at the car as it roared to life, ignoring the heads turning to me in alarm at the sound. I backed carefully into a place in the line of cars waiting to get out of the school parking lot. I saw two Cullen siblings and the Hale twins get into the shiny Volvo. They were all dressed simply yet the clothes seemed to hint at designer origins, more then that it was the way that they carried themselves; they could of worn rags and pulled it off.

They could probably be the kings and queens of the school if they chose to, their isolation must be of their own choice. I have to respect them for that, they looked at my noisy truck as everyone else did but I didn't look at them I looked straight ahead.

The Thrift Way was not far from the school, just a few streets south of the highway. It's nice to be in the supermarket; it felt extremely normal. I did the shopping at home, and the cooking and the cleaning and making sure the bills where paid on time, and I feel into the pattern of a familiar task easily.

When I got home I unloaded the groceries, stuffing them haphazardly anywhere they'd fit. I hoped Charlie wouldn't mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balance it on the top carton of eggs in the fridge.

When I was finished with that, I took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into a pair of dry Emily the Strange sweats and pulled my damp hair into a ponytail. I checked my emails for the first time. I have three.

Bella.

Write me as soon as you get in. is it raining? I'm almost finished packing for Florida. But I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Mom.

I sigh, of course the only reason Renee would email me or bother with any sort of contact was if she needed something. Brain dead flake. The next one was sent eight hours after the first.

Bella.

Why haven't you emailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Do you know where my blouse is?

Mom.

The next was from this morning. When I would have been in school.

Isabella Marie Swan!

If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p. m. today I'm calling Charlie. How hard is it to answer one simple question?

What a bitch. Not even so much as asking how I'm doing. 'How hard is it to answer one simple question?' she asks, how hard is it to add 'how are you doing?' on the end of a sticking email? It's only 4:30 but I might as well email the woman now.

Mom.

Your shirt is in the dry cleaners-you were supposed to pick it up Friday.

Remember?

Of course it's raining. This is Forks. It's makes everything so beautifully morbid. I'm not going to probably be checking my email a lot, maybe once every few days.

Bella.

I decided to read _Wuthering Heights_, the novel we were currently studying in English, yet again for the fun of it. I was doing that when Charlie came home, I had lost track of time like I usually did as I read about the plights that people put on each other in this book.

I rushed down stairs and took out the potatoes, thanking my usually nonexistent luck that they didn't burn, and put the steak in to broil.

"Bella?" Charlie called out when he heard me on the stairs.

Who else?

"Hey dad. Welcome home."

"Thanks." he hung up his gun belt and steeped out of his boots as I bustled in the kitchen. As far as I know Charlie had never shot the gun on his job, but he always kept it ready. When I came here as a child he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough not to shoot myself by accident. And not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose, their were…instances. Of me writing about death and scaring the shit out of my parents.

"What's for dinner?" He asked warily. Renee was an…imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. Which is one of the reasons I took on another responsibility.

"Steak and potatoes," I said putting his fears to rest.

He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. It seemed so much more comfortable then when mom and her current boyfriend would sit on the couch and wait for me to serve them. Charlie didn't wish to be served, only not to be in the way. I made some salad while the steak cooked.

I called him in when dinner was ready, he sniffed like a starved bear once he was in the room.

"Smells good, Bell."

I just smiled at him before passing him a plate. We ate for awhile in silence, neither of us minded the quiet. We were much better suited for living together then I was with Renee.

"So how was school? Did you make any friends?" He asked as he was taking seconds. I couldn't blame him, awesome or not, he's a dad and as such worries that his daughter would fit in.

"Well I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica, I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." That was a lie but it was for Charlie's sake. He didn't need to know that Jessica was a gossiper with the lowest regard to others peoples feelings or privacy. And that Mike doesn't get that I'm not interested. I am a natural born bad liar, but as long as I don't have to look into someone's eyes and they can't see my blush it's usually all good.

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid-nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here." Hmm…Charlie's right it is Mike Newton. Newton-newt, hahaha. Nice kid? Not really, he was the player of the junior class, told to me by Angela Weber bless her soul. I don't believe family really matters when it comes to a person, if I don't like someone every person in their family can be saints dating back to the Roman days and I still wont like them. Newton Outfitters, I figured the owner was of some relation to Mike, and I suppose that the owner would make a good living, nothing extravagant but good.

"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked honestly, I have never been one for gossip but I wanted to know what could possibly make Edward Cullen so angry at me.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"It's nice that I'm not the only new student this generation. They don't seem to fit in much, everyone seems to either talk about them ,or ignore them, never to them." Charlie looked angry at this news.

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world and make ten times his salary. We're lucky to have him-lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of his kids are well-behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought I might have some problems with them but their all very mature. That's more then I can say from some of the kids who's family has lived here for generations. And they stick together, the way a family should, camping trips every other weekend. Just because their newcomers people have to talk."

I have never seen Charlie make such a long speech. He must have heard more then I have.

"They all seemed nice enough to me. They keep to themselves, quiet bunch. The way everyone made them out to be was stuck up, but I don't think that's true. That's not the kind of read I got off of them." I added as our family joke, I was usually able to tell people's nature. They called it my horse sense, horses could sense evil, and I was usually able to tell from looking into someone's eyes if they were generally a good person or not and sometimes get a feeling. That all it was, a feeling: greedy, sad, nice, needs help. The scary thing was they were almost always right, and the one's that were wrong were _always_ close to being right.

We didn't say anything more for the rest of dinner. Charlie cleared the table and put the leftovers away while I washed dishes. He went to watch TV while I hand washed the dishes and then headed up to do my math homework. I could feel a routine building, and that was good I enjoyed routines. I had spent all my life, except the time I'd visit in Forks, never having a routine because all my time was trying to get Renee not to be a dumb ass. A impossible mission.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine in classes and people were starting to back off of me and go back to their own lives. In gym, the other kids learned to not pass me the ball and step in front of me if the other team would try to. I was happy to stay out of the way, throwing balls with similar characteristics of heat seeking missiles at each other seemed incredibly unnecessary. Unnecessary and stupid.

Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.

Every day I watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullens entered the lunch room, without him. For all I know, Edward Cullen has dropped out of school.

Everyone continued making plans for the trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. I agreed to go because the only way that someone would agree to go to the beach meant their must be a fire and I nursed the hope of horror stories around the fire. Maybe I could hear some new ones to add to my collection of horror stories.

By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering biology. I always knew Edward Cullen wouldn't be their. I couldn't totally stop the strange feeling that his abstinence had something to do with me. It was more ridicules then those Friday The 13th kids were but I still couldn't shake it.

My first weekend in Forks passed without incident, Charlie wasn't used to staying home on the weekends for "family bonding" so he was at work most the time. I cleaned some of the house wanting to do what I can for him, I love my dad but he's like a terminal bachelor. I did my homework as well as worked ahead on some of the classes, I emailed Renee some stupid crappy emails because she got in some sewing circle and they were intrigued with me for some reason. She had only been a part of it for a day, give it a few more and she'd have no more reason for my emails. I drove to the library one day but their wasn't anything good, and everything that was good I already owned, so I didn't bother getting a card. I entertained the idea of visiting Olympia or Seattle soon to find a good bookstore, but unfortunately my truck wouldn't make the drive. It may be awesomely wicked but the thing is probably older then my parents…wait, the truck was made in the early fifties. Say 1953. I was born 1987, Renee was born eighteen years before me in 1969 and Charlie was born in 1968 so the car was about roughly fifteen or sixteen years older then them. Yep, no way was that car going to be any good in gas mileage sense.

At English on Monday Mike sat beside me, I ignored him. We had a pop quiz on _Wuthering Heights_ straight forward and easy, Mike complained about it though. _It wouldn't of been hard if you read the first few chapters of the book_, I thought but didn't bother saying.

I loved Forks, I haven't ever felt this comfortable. Life in Forks was easy and nice and honestly it was so much better. The kids were gossipers, true but compared to the kids at my old school they weren't _that_ bad. But beside that it was really good. I wasn't planning on growing old here and having any kids here, but I did enjoy it.

When my class dismissed and we all walked out the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitements. What was so great with snow? The rain was beautiful, especially thunderstorms, this mass of white was…I wouldn't use the term ugly but defiantly not beautiful.

"Wow," I heard Mike say beside me. "It's snowing." He said it with such reverence, like it was water and he was dying of thirst. He grew up in Fork only ever left once or twice, yes sometimes I actually paid attention to what these people said, he had seen snow every winter all his life. This was my first time and I didn't see what the big deal was, perhaps snow was an acquired taste?

They looked like little cotton fluffs that were building along the sidewalk.

"Stupid snow." I muttered and that had Mike turn to me.

"Don't you like snow?"

"Not really that means it's too cold for rain."

"Do you want me to warm you up?" Mike said with a smirk that I suppose was supposed to be sexy. He looked really stupid to me.

"No thanks." I rolled my eyes and turned to the nice girl, Angela, who asked if I ever saw snow before.

"No, isn't it supposed to be in flakes, all unique? These look like the ends of Q-tips." I was honestly disappointed, if each would be unique I'd enjoy snow more. Where was the individuates? I guess their wasn't anything that being an individual would be easy.

"You really have never seen snow fall before have you?" Angela asked.

"Sure I have, on TV." Angela laughed at this, but it wasn't a mean laugh, she found it genuinely funny.

"TV isn't exactly known for showing the real way things happen."

"True."

Then a big slushy wet snowball sailed between use somehow nearly hitting us both. We instantly turned and saw everyone engaged in a snowball fight.

"I'll see you at lunch kay?" I told Angela beginning to walk away. "Once people start throwing things I go inside."

"Same here, see ya." Angela waved heading the opposite direction of me for her next class.

Through the morning the snow was anything anyone would talk about. I resided myself to simply read, I was in the middle or rereading _Emma_.

I walked into the cafeteria after Spanish with the gossip queen, Jessica, beside me. Snow balls were flying everywhere and I kept a binder in my hand for protection, or to beat the crap out of anyone who may be unfortunate enough to actually land a snowball at me. Perhaps both.

Jessica thought it was hilarious but I had already told her, in no joking voice, that if she threw a snowball at me I'd beat her with my binder. When she didn't seem that afraid I added that I'd cut her hair off the next time she fell asleep in Trig, with my special scary voice I think that the grudge would have if she had a voice, that scared her.

Once we got in Mike ran up, wet from snow. Jessica immediately engaged him in talking about the epic snow fight. She did things like fiddle with her blouse till some of the buttons came undone and fluffed her hair anytime she thought Mike's attention waver. I pretty much ignored both of them and got in line for my food.

I happen to turn and froze. At the reclusive Cullen Table sat five people. Jessica ran into me.

"Hello? Earth to Bella!"

"What? Oh sorry. I just remembered I forgot something in my locker." I quickly lied, it was so horrible if I did it to anyone with an IQ over ten it wouldn't of worked but luckily I told it to Jessica.

I didn't feel hungry anymore so I just got a soda.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked in her gossip hunting voice that I seriously doubt she even knows she uses.

"Actually I feel a little sick." I didn't look at her as I said this instead staring at the floor. I waited for them

I sipped my soda and wondered if I should skip biology today. I banished that notion the second I thought it, why should I run away? I was staring at the ceiling over their heads daydreaming, I wasn't sure about what. Edward Cullen seemed different, he was laughing with his family probably about some snow fight. He was flushed and less bags were under his eyes and their was something else I couldn't pinpoint.

"Bella what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded my daydream.

"Nothing." I said dropping my head. He had turned the instant she said something and even though I wasn't staring at him. Okay maybe a little, but only a little, it could easily of looked like that. But his eyes were different they weren't harsh or unfriendly when they met mine as they had last time. He seemed merely curious and unsatisfied in some way.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled into my ear, great the gossip hunter was back on top of everything else.

"Does he look angry?"

"No…should he be?" Jessica asked her curiosity piqued even more.

"I don't think he likes me," I told her thinking how it was an understatement at the same time.

"The Cullens don't like anybody." Jessica stated easily. "…Well they don't notice anybody enough to like them." She added when I glared, "but he's still staring at you."

"Stop looking at him." I practically growled. Jessica was too scared to not obey, I know she'll probably spread some nasty rumor about me as a rebuke for the way she's backing down now but I don't care.

Mike interrupted us then, wishing for attention to be back to him. "I don't get those Cullen freaks. They think their so much better then all of us." Mike did this with an attempt to throw and arm over my shoulder which I promptly blocked.

"What's everyone's hatred to them?" I meant it to be a rhetorical question but Jessica answered anyway.

"Their just not right, I don't know but they just aren't."

"Why? Because they keep to themselves? Doesn't sound that bad to me, in fact I much prefer it. Their's some other people I wish would keep to themselves," I said this with a glare at both of them. "How about everyone stop acting like immature little children and let people live the way they want, their not hurting anyone by refusing to be in the social light. I envy that they can stay out of it because every time I try to read a book you just have to gossip and you just have to drone on and on about things that I don't want to know." I breathed deeply. "Why not you two just grow up? You might want to open up your mind because the world is not going to narrow down for you."

I got up and headed towards the library, and smiled as I saw it was raining. Washing the white away replacing it with gloom. I smiled through my black lips and headed to the library to finish the last five minutes of lunch.

I told myself I was imagining the spark of eyes following me.

Mike found me as I left the library. Looks like my luck has ran out, I never had much of it to begin with. "Wow, you really stood up for the Cullens. Why?" Mike asked as if it wasn't a normal thing for someone to do.

"Because they never did anything to anyone. Thiers no point in gossiping about them because they don't go to parties or whatever it is you people do."

"That's not it, it's…" I looked at him as I walked waiting for him to say something that could possibly excuse anything that he and gossip queen had said.

"Exactly." I said after waiting for him to talk all the way from the library to building four.

When I got in my table was empty and I quickly sat in it. I refused to watch the door and instead started doodling a black cat.

"I think it could use some more shading here." I heard a musical voice while a long pale finger pointed to a grey spot standing out on the black cat. I looked up surprised.

Beside me sat Edward Cullen. His chair was angled toward me and his hair was wet and disheveled looking dark brown almost black. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his full lips. But his eyes were careful. Had I imagined the hostility weeks ago? No, it might have been awhile ago but I did not imagine it.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

"Yes." I said mentally noting that he knew I preferred Bella to Isabella, no one else knew that.

Mr. Banner then started class. Today we were doing a lab, the slides in the box were out of order. Onion root tip cells into phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. No books, twenty minutes, he would check.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked and again I was stunned with his gentlemanly quality, no one ever said ladies first anymore. "Or I could start, if you wish." He asked probably contemplating if I knew how to do the lab. If he only knew what I was thinking.

"No I'll go ahead."

I saw the cell had no nucleuses. Prophase.

"Prophase." I shrugged, I had done this lab before and even the first time I didn't have trouble with it.

"Do you mind if I look?" His hand caught mine as I moved to remove the slide, his fingers were ice cold. I didn't mind that he wanted to check, I probably would to. I nodded pulling my hand away, he glanced at it.

"It's prophase." He agreed.

"Like I said." I smiled to let him no I was joking. He smiled in return and pulled out a second slide, glancing at it.

"Anaphase."

"May I?" I kept my voice indifferent. He smiled pushing the microscope to me.

I saw the chromes pulling to different sides of the cell. Anaphase.

"Slide three?" I held out my hand not looking at me. He handed it to me quickly and I snapped it into place.

The spindle fibers were starting to emerge. Interphase.

"Interphase." I said not even requiring for him to ask for the microscope before I pushed it to him. He took a swift peek and wrote it down, I didn't bother asking to write, I may write stories but my handwriting was atrocious.

We were finished before anyone else was anywhere close.

I tried not to look at him, instead steadily memorizing the tabletop, but I couldn't keep it up and looked at him. He was looking at me, still the same look of frustration, why I had no idea.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out without thinking, his eyes were a golden brown now, last times they were black.

He seemed puzzled at the random question. "No."

"Hmm, strange, I could of sworn their was something different about your eyes."

He just shrugged and then steadily looked away.

I could swear his eyes were black the last time he glared at me. It was striking against his pale skin, his eyes today were an ocher color they reminded me of butterscotch almost. I must of struck a nerve, his hands were fisted.

Mr. Banner came to our table then to see why we were not working. He looked over Edward's shoulder to see the completed lab then checked the answers.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked, he was wrong about Edward hogging the microscope but I could appreciate the gesture. I'm new here and many don't know what my abilities are, and Edward is obviously a good student and it was his handwriting. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch for someone to think that he didn't even let me come near the microscope.

"Bella," Edward corrected automatically, thank you Edward. "actually, she identified three of the five." Edward said this with almost a proud note in his voice, I know that it was probably for proving his innocence but I couldn't help but wonder-okay maybe it's more like hope-that he was proud of me.

"Have you done this lab before?" Mr. Banner asked me.

"No with onion root." I said sheepishly.

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yeah." I said, I normally wouldn't remember but man was that a weird name. When I got home the day I did the lab, I goggled images to find out how it looked since the teacher went over nothing before hand. Turned out it was basically whitefish's cells during mitosis and meiosis.

"Were you in the advance placement program in Phoenix?" Mr. Banner asked looking between me and Edward skeptically.

"Yes."

"Well, I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He mumbled before going to help other students.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I have a feeling he's forcing himself to make small talk. I have this feeling, though I know it's impossible, that he heard my discussion with Jessica and was trying to prove me wrong.

"Not really," I answered honestly. For some reason, I don't know why, I felt like I didn't have to put up a front with Edward. It felt like I could be who I was and he wouldn't judge me. I know these don't have any evidence but I cant help it.

"Really? Everyone else seems to be disappointed."

"I'm _not_ everyone else."

"No, your not." He said with a far off look in his eyes. "Tell me, then, why don't you like the snow?"

"I never liked snow, I prefer the rain."

"Really? How about the sun?"

"Never was a fan." I said truthfully again, I am sharing too much with him. Yet I don't seem to be able to stop myself.

"Interesting." He whispered. "You must love Forks then."

"Not really."

"Hmm…why?"

"I don't like small towns with people who gossip more then they breath, but compared to other places I've lived this isn't so bad." He seemed fascinated by this. He looked at me making a rolling motion with his fingers that seemed to say to go on. His face was a distraction so I only looked at it for the base of what common courtesy absolutely demanded.

"Forks isn't exactly my cup of tea but it's a place to live." I wasn't lying either, with him I'm being more honest then ever. More honest then I've been even with myself. Forks isn't the perfect place I keep making it up to be in my mind, it's still a small town with people that have small-town attitudes. I never allowed myself to really notice before.

"Why did you come here, then?" He asked, no one had asked it like that. It seemed demanding no one was that straight with me which I admired.

"It's…..complicated." I said, I still can't really figure out everything that's happened. I keep the mental saying view the goblet half full because it's the only way I know.

"I think I can keep up," he pressed. If anyone else did this I would know they were fishing for gossip, but he wasn't I knew I don't know how but I did. He seemed genuinely interested.

"My mother remarried." I shrugged.

"That doesn't sound so complex." If he only knew Renee. "When did that happen?"

"Last September." I sighed, September 13th to be exact. My seventeenth birthday and no one could be bothered enough for a simple 'happy birthday Bella.' That's all I wanted. Instead it was all congratulations for Renee and Phil, I know that it was their wedding day and I can be sympathetic to that. Yet would it of been so hard for Renee to add a stupid 'happy birthday Bella,' to that? I was her personal servant for the day anyway it wouldn't of killed her. 'Bella I think my dress is torn in the back. My hair's coming undone. Could you be a dear and go and get me a drink…oh yeah, Bella happy birthday.' Am I really so selfish for wishing for that?

"And you don't like him." Edward summarized, jumping to a completely wrong conclusion.

"No, Phil is fine. Far too young, but nice enough."

"Why didn't you stay with them?" I didn't understand his interest, as if my dark existence was of vital importance. Even more scary then that was the feeling that I could tell him anything.

"Phil travels a lot, he plays ball for a living." I give a half truth instead, it was true that Renee hated being away from Phil but that only cemented my decision.

"Have I heard of him?" Edward asked with a smile.

"Probably not, he doesn't play well. So far only minor league, he moves around a lot, still, though."

"And your mother sent you here so she could travel with him." He said assuming again.

"No." I said raising my chin, I stopped allowing Renee to say where I go and how I dressed long ago. "She didn't send me here, I sent myself." I glared daring him to say something wrong.

"I don't understand," he said knitting his eyebrows together. He seemed extremely frustrated by that fact.

Why was I even bothering explaining this to him? He had been glaring at me with a death stare the last time I had seen him.

"She was unhappy when she stayed with me and away from him." I said simply, and when Renee was unhappy she made sure I was unhappy.

"But now your unhappy." Assuming again, something is wrong with him.

"And?" I didn't even bother challenging him about me being unhappy. I don't even remember what happiness feels like. Forks is as close as I'll probably ever get.

"That doesn't seem fair."

"It isn't. But life's not fair, some people have it so much worse." I said simply, I know I might be a monster for saying it but it always helped to know that however miserable I am theirs someone who has it off worse.

He continued to look at me with an intense expression.

"What?"

"You put on a good show. But I'm willing to bet that your suffering more then you let anyone know."

I turned away from him stricken, I have hidden my feelings of being an outsider from everyone including myself. I had hidden the pain that goes along with knowing no one understands you that no one ever noticed. How can he just comes in and understand me so completely?

That's when another thought hit me.

Maybe he is just like me, that'd explain why I didn't wish him away and enjoyed when he talked to me.

"Am I wrong?" He asked, "didn't think so." He added smugly when I was too shocked to speak.

"Why does it matter?"

"That's a good question."

He didn't say anymore and neither did I.

"Am I annoying you?" He asked suddenly.

"No."

"Your annoyed." He stated, an observation.

"More at myself, I'm much too easy to read."

"On the contrary." He said leaning over to brush a strand of hair out of my face without touching me. "I find you quit difficult to get a read on."

"You must be a good reader then." I said as my heart seemed hell bent of busting out of my chest.

"Usually." He said and smiled as if he could hear my heart.

Mr. Banner called the class to order then and I could not allow myself to look at Edward Cullen. I can't believe I had just basically spilled my guts to him. When the bell rang he rushed for the door.

Mike skipped to my side like a little girl and tried to take my books for me, I picked them up just a half second before he could grave them.

"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. Your lucky you had Cullen for a partner, he always knows the answers."

"I didn't have any trouble with it, it's pretty easy once you get used to it." Take that you jackass. I am not a dumb bimbo, talk to Jessica if you want one of those. On second thought do that even if you don't and leave me alone.

"Cullen seemed friendly today." He said it with a bit of jealousy, like he had any right.

"I wonder what was up with him last Monday, oh well." I shrugged, "probably personal reasons."

"Yeah, the all the Cullens need some serious time in the nut house." Mike laughed trying to be funny. I just shot him a dirty look and started walking faster, stumbling over a few invisible things. "Hey, wait up!" Mike called to me.

"No, I can't believe how you are, just leave me alone you Neanderthal." Mike just stared at me trying to decrypt what Neanderthal meant. "Neanderthal means caveman, undeveloped, not understanding some people just don't want to be near you, annoyingly macho take your pick." I said before pushing my way through the girls locker room.

I changed into my long black pants and black shirt decorated with little skulls along with black and red converse sneakers. I stayed out of the way on the court and Coach Clapp ignored me, already knowing that if I did participate it'd mean ER visits all around.

After gym I went to my truck and didn't jump at all to the sound of it roaring to life. I put the hood of my _Nightmare Before Christmas _jacket and fluffed my hair for the heater to start drying.

While I was looking to make sure no idiot got behind my truck when I tried to back out I saw Edward Cullen leaning against his Volvo door three cars down. He was staring intently at me, I quickly looked away and nearly hit a Toyota Corolla in my haste to get away. Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brakes that car was the exact type this truck would make scrap metal. I looked again and pulled out easier this time.

When I passed Edward and his Volvo, I could swear I saw him laughing.


	4. Hello

When I opened my eyes in the morning their was something vastly different.

The light, the light was a clear light gray-green. Their was no fog veiling my windows. No rain.

I jumped up to look out my window and groaned. Snow, snow and ice. Ice is a very bad thing for me. I might as well call the hospital now and set up an appointment.

I really should go back to bed and skip today. I really, really should.

Charlie was already gone. Living with Charlie was a lot like having a place of my own, and I enjoyed the aloneness instead of feeling lonely. I could stay home, I could just not go to school and Charlie would never find out. But that would take advantage of his trust. I hate being a goody-goody.

I ate a quick breakfast of Count Chocula and a glass of orange juice. I slipped on a pair of black jeans and a Slipknot shirt. I felt a bit excited to go to school, and it wasn't for the stimulating learning environment, or to see my new so called friends. It was because I would get to see Edward Cullen again, and that was very, very, very stupid.

Since when did I, Isabella Marie Swan, the scary Goth girl want to go to school to see a guy? I should be avoiding him after my very embarrassing babble about my life.

It took everything I had to make it down the icy driveway. I distracted myself from thinking about Edward Cullen by thinking about Mike and Eric, the obvious difference in how teenage boys responded to me here. I think it's because I'm a novelty here, where novelties are few and far between. It's like first grade, and I'm the shiny new toy. Perhaps my clumsiness is more of a endearing charteristic more than just being pathetic. Some guys might enjoy a chance to be a knight in shining armor with the girl cast as the damsel in distress. Whatever the reason, Mike's puppy dog behavior and Eric's apparent rivalry with him was annoying. I prefer to be ignored by everybody. Well almost everybody-NO! Stop thinking about Edward flippen Cullen already.

That is a battle lost before it's begun, even I'm not stubborn enough to fight that fact.

My truck didn't have any trouble with the black ice. I drove slowly anyway, I didn't want to kill any innocents on my way to school. When I got to school I saw why it was so easy for me to drive in ice. On the black of my tires were criss crossing of silver. Charlie had gotten up who knows how early to put snow chains on my tires. My throat felt tight suddenly. I'm not used to being taken care of, and Charlie's concern hit a chord with me. My father actually cares about me, why did Renee have to be so selfish? If it wasn't for her I might actually know what it's like to be around someone who loves me everyday. I would know now, and I will take care of him to.

I was standing on the back corner of my truck trying not to cry. Amazing. As tough as I am, a small thing as snow chains brought me up short. Just goes to show, no matter how jaded you are, someone showing they care can affect you.

Then I heard a sound. It was a high pitched screech and it was getting louder, fast. I looked up and couldn't believe what I saw. I could see several things at once, I cant say if it all slowed down or if it sped up and my brain sped up with it, but I saw what I saw.

Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from me, staring at me in horror. His face stood out from the sea of frozen masks of shock. A dusk blue van was sliding at me. It was spinning like a drunk sailor and was heading straight for the back of my truck. And I was standing in-between the two vehicles.

I was hit down, hard, but from my side not from the front. And the van was still coming at me, did I pass out for a second and then wake up from the adrenaline.

A low "oof" made me aware someone was with me, and I recognized the voice immediately. Two long white hands shot out protectively in front of me. The van shuddered to a stop right in front of my face. His _hands_ stopped the van, am I dead? Their was a deep dent in the side of the van, who can honestly do that?

Then his hands moved again they blurred with their movement. One was gripping the body of the van, the other pulled my legs out as if I was a rag doll. I am slim, but my whole body is probably like dead weight right now. He dropped the van and it gave a metallic groan and the glass popped into the asphalt-exactly where my legs were a second ago.

It was absolutely silent a long second, almost as if in a dream, before the screaming began. I could hear more than one person, I heard both nonverbal screams and people screaming to call 9-1-1 and yelling directions. Yet all of that seemed to disappear when I heard Edward Cullen's voice in my ear.

"Bella? Are you all right?" He sounded anxious.

"I'm fine." My voice sounded weird, and I tried to sit up. That's when I noticed he was holding me to the side of his body in an iron grasp, it almost felt protectively possessive.

"Be careful." He warned, tightening his grip when he felt me struggle. "I think you hit your head."

I think he's right, theirs a throbbing ache centered above my left ear.

"Ouch." I whispered, surprised. Looks like the adrenaline's wearing off.

"That's what I thought." He said almost smugly, and I could feel my eyes narrow.

"How'd you get over to me so fast?" I said instead of going down any argument rode. He might be annoying sometimes, but the guy did save my life.

"I was standing right next to you Bella." He said, his tone was over serious. Even if I hadn't seen him over by his car four cars down I'd be suspicious. I turned to sit up and he let me, I told myself that his hands _didn't _seem a little wary to let me go. I looked into his eyes in the little space we had. His eyes where concerned golden color.

And then they found us, a crowd of people crying and screaming. Shouting at each other, shouting at us. I was ready to tell them to shut the hell up, I already had a headache.

"Don't move," someone instructed, I didn't mind being with Edward Cullen wasn't so bad.

"Get Tyler out of the van!" Someone else ordered.

Everything that happened I couldn't comprehend. All I really saw were blurs of colors. I tried to get up, but Edward's cold hand stopped me.

"Just stay put for now."

"Your hand is so cold, are you okay?" I asked instead of trying to get up again.

"I'm fine." He chuckled.

"You were over there." I commented suddenly remembering, his laugh stopped quickly.

"No, I wasn't." His expression was hard and dark, like a…vampire's.

"I saw you." I said, he might look scarier than the Wolfman but I was never one to scare easily. I was right and he's going to admit it, besides their's no such thing as vampires and werewolves.

"Bella, I was standing right next to you. I was going to ask you about…our biology homework." He seemed to pause to say what he was going to ask me about, but it was such a short pause I'm not sure. I am sure of one thing, he's hiding something. "When I saw the van coming I pulled you out of the way." He continued. Yeah, sure, that could be a viable explanation and I would probably have believed it except for one thing. How could he lift a whole van with one hand and get my legs from being crushed?

"Bella, I was standing with you, I pulled you out of the way." He said this as he unleashed the full power of his eyes on me. I would prefer the black, they stand out so beautifully against his pale skin, but oddly the yellow honey is also just as beautiful. I had to fight considerably to keep from falling under their spell, no one had ever been able to affect me like that.

"No," I could never give up a chance to be defiant.

"Please, Bella." He finally said while his honey eyes blazed to a hard golden hue.

"Why?" I asked, I haven't asked that since the 'why?' phase when I was a kid.

"Trust me," he pleaded and his softly masculine voice was overwhelming. I did trust him, I don't understand why but I trust him. I've never trusted someone before.

"Do you promise to tell me everything later?" I asked, because I just had to make sure.

"Fine!" He snapped, I didn't even blink twice.

It took two EMT's and two teachers, Mr. Varner and Couch Clapp, to move the van enough for them to reach us. Then the stretchers rolled in. Edward refused the stretcher with venom, I tried to do the same. However the little prick told them I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion. I did however tell the woman who tried to put a neck brace on me that if she didn't back up I'd put _her_ in a neck brace. That extremely amused Edward, and extremely terrified the woman.

Even worse, Chief Swan arrived before I could get away.

"Bella!" He panicked as he saw me on a stretcher.

"I'm completely fine dad, their's nothing wrong." I said trying to get up but a man pushed me back down. I think I might be hallucinating, I could swear I heard a growl from the front, where Edward and the driver are.

While Charlie talked to the EMT on the way to the hospital I tried to remember everything. While they were lifting us from the cars I saw a deep mental dent in the truck door. It fit the continents of Edward's shoulder, as if he had braced against the van with enough force to do the car damage.

And his siblings. Their expressions ranged from disappointment to fury. Yet no concern. I'm an only child, but if I had a brother I'd be concerned about him being in-between two cars.

I tried to think of a logical explanation. Other than me being insane. I know I'm mad as a hatter, but not in that way.

They put me in the emergency room. A nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. While I wide eyed elementary school girl with blonde hair and green eyes watched. She must be a daughter of one of the staff, she wore an old nurse hat from the fifties that had the plus like nurse sign, like the red cross, only in blue and said future nurse.

There was a flurry of activity and another stretcher brought a boy to the bed next to me. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my government class under bloody bandages. Tyler looked way worse than I felt but he immediately started apologizing.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm fine, accidents happen. Besides, you look way worse, you okay?" I asked, yeah the guy nearly killed me, but it was an accident. That's why I don't really like driving, Renee had to drag me by the hair to get a drivers license.

He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you!" I was going too fast, then I hit the ice wrong." He shuddered, I could see how scared he must be.

"I'm fine, you missed me."

"How'd you get out of the way? One second you were there the next you were gone."

"Edward pulled me out of the way."

"Who?"

"Edward Cullen. He supposedly was standing next to me."

"Cullen? I didn't even see him…I was going so fast. Is he okay?" Tyler asked, as if the poor guy wasn't stressed enough with just nearly hitting me.

"I think so. He's here somewhere. They didn't make him use a stretcher, annoying hospital staff." I grumbled.

I knew it, solid proof. I had known I wasn't crazy before hand, at least not that kind of crazy, but it was good to have someone who saw the same thing as me.

They tried to wheel me away to the X-ray and I instead insisted on walking. They wanted to X-ray my head and ignored me when I insisted nothing was wrong, and a kind middle aged brown haired nurse gently told me I couldn't leave till I saw a doctor. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting-one of the biggest things I hate, second only to jocks and preps. Tyler's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me were easily annoying but I didn't say anything about him shutting up because the guy was pretty much a bloody pulp already. Finally I closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep.

"Is she sleeping?" I heard a musical voice ask. My eyes flew open against my will.

Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, wearing a stupid smirk. I glared.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry-" Tyler began.

"No blood, no foul." Edward interrupted flashing a brilliant smile. He sat on the edge of Tyler's bed facing me and gave that stupid know it all smirk. As if I wasn't already angry that I had to get on a stupid stretcher and he didn't, all he had was to tell Tyler he was fine once and Tyler let off.

"So what's the verdict?" He asked me.

"Hmm…death is certain." I said and watched his eyes widen and his face pale, which caused me to bust out laughing. "Kidding. I'm fine, the stupid hospital won't let me out till I see a doctor though. Which with this being the ER we wont see one until around midnight, so I'm busting out, speaking of the hospital and all it's injustices, why aren't you strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" Edward gave a crooked little grin at my rant about the hospital before answering.

"It's all about who you know, but don't worry. I'm here to spring you." Now _that_ made my whole face brighten up, talk about a knight in shining armor.

Then a doctor walked around the corner. Hew was young, he was blond…and he was as handsome as a movie star. He was pale, and he looked tired with the circles under his eyes. From Charlie's description, this had to be Edward's father.

"So, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen said, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said again, hopefully for the last time. He walked over to the light board with my X-rays on it.

"Your X-rays look good," he said turning the light board off. "does you head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It's fine," I said while shooting Edward a death glare.

The doctor's cool fingers probed gently along my skull. He noticed when I flinched even though it was minimal.

"Tender?"

"Not really." I said, I'd had worse.

I heard a chuckle and saw Edward standing with a patronizing grin. I scowled at him, if only looks could kill.

"Well, you father is in the waiting room. You can go home now, but come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight."

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, I was doing enough to Charlie, I didn't want to make him stay home with me to.

"I think you should take it easy today."

I glanced at Edward. "Does he get to go back to school?" I asked, normally I wouldn't mind and I'd just convince Charlie I was okay and tell him I called if I needed it. But I've never been one for double standards.

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived." Edward said smugly, I was just about to tell him to fuck off when Dr. Cullen started to talk.

"Actually, most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

"Oh no," I mumbled dropping my head into my hands. As if I don't get enough of those gossip mongers their in the waiting room. As if any of them actually care about me.

"Do you want to stay?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"No thank you." I said, I knew he was just trying to be nice but the sooner I got out of here the better. Away from the fake classmates and away from the annoying hospital smell that made me nauseous.

"I'm afraid you, Mr. Crowley, will have to stay a bit longer." Dr. Cullen said to Tyler.

As soon as the doctor's back was turned I moved to Edward's side.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I hissed under my breath and Edward's jaw tightened.

"Your father is waiting for you" he said through his teeth as a way to distract me.

"I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind." Mind or not I was going to talk to him.

He glared before turning around and rushing out of the room. I followed and he turned back to me when we turned the corner into a short hallway.

"What do you want?" He said, going from smug to angry in two seconds flat.

"You owe me and explanation." I reminded him raising a eyebrow.

"I saved your life-I don't owe you anything." He said, his voice full of resentment.

"That would usually be true. But you did say you would, so start talking."

"Bella, you hit your head. You don't know what your talking about." He said in a voice like sharp knives.

That caused my temper, just cooling down, to flare again. "There is nothing wrong with my head."

"What do you want from me Bella?" He asked, going from resentment to exasperation.

"I want to know the truth, why I'm lying for you."

"What do you _think_ happened?" He asked going back to resenting me again. Yet their was something more, curiosity perhaps.

"All I _know_ is that you weren't anywhere near me." He opened his mouth to object and I quickly cut him off. "Tyler didn't see you either, so don't you dare say that I hit my head. The van was going to crush us both-and it didn't. Your _hands_ left a dent on the van and my truck and your not even hurt. And the van would have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up-with one hand." I knew how crazy I sounded but I ignored it.

He was staring at me incredulously, yet his face was tense and defensive.

"You think I lifted a van off you?" His tone suggested that he thought all my sanity was gone, yet I realized it was all a lie. From living with Renee I could tell that what he said was a practiced line from a talented actor. He's lying.

I didn't call him on it, I merely nodded-calmly.

"Nobody will believe you." He said, dumb ass just admitted it.

"Who says I was going to tell anybody?" I asked raising a eyebrow.

"Then why does it matter?" He asked surprised.

"It matters to me."

"Cant you just thank me and get over it?" Anger has returned taking the place of surprise.

"Cant you just jump off a cliff? But seriously thank you." He seemed surprised again.

"Your not going to let this go, are you?" He asked after a few moments wryly.

"No." I said with a shake of my head.

"Then I hope you enjoy disappointment."

"I love it." I said more because I didn't want him to be able to have the last word. We glared at each other until a new thought hit me. "Why did you even bother?" I asked coldly.

"I don't know." He said, and he sounded vulnerable.

Then suddenly he was angry and he turned and strolled away from me. I turned and walked the opposite direction to Charlie.

The waiting room was even worse than I feared, every face I knew in Forks high school was there. Charlie ran up to me and I held my hands up.

"Nothings wrong." I heard a few groans of my classmates that they had no new gossip.

"Dr. Cullen saw me, he said everything is fine and that I can go home." Chess Club-Eric, Golden Boy-Mike, and Gossip Queen-Jessica were starting to coverage on us so I quickly all but pulled Charlie out of the hospital.

The car ride was quiet and when we got home Charlie decided to drop a ticking time bomb on me.

"Um…you should probably call Renee." Charlie said looking guilty.

"You told her?" I asked glaring slightly.

"Sorry."

I called Renee, she talked enough for three people about everything she was going through. She no doubt enjoyed telling her newest group of friends, a church, that her only daughter who wanted to come up to live with her father since she didn't ever really get to see him nearly died from a van in the school parking lot. That's Renee, ostentatious. She no doubt will make it seem like I made a miraculous recovery.

I went to bed early that night, Charlie's hovering was starting to get on my nerves. I thought about Edward that night as I changed into my pajamas, only afterwards did I realize I changed into _Edward scissorhands _pajamasand I couldn't help but know, subconsciously, that I had chosen that for Edward. I of course banished that thought right away.

That was the first night I dreamt of Edward Cullen.


	5. Blood?

**Sorry for how long it has been since the last update. My lovly Twilight Beta xoAzrealxo has had a lot to do latley so you've guys got to bear with us. I hope this chapter might be worth the wait. For any of you who are reading my other stories as soon as the chapters are Beta'd they'll be up. Now I know that a lot of this might seem kind of weird but let me explain.**

**Before the Cullens came the last new face they had was-in my world-when Renee's parents moved their before they had her. Yes Renee as in Bella's mom. Then the Cullens came but pepole are instentivly afraid of the Cullens so when Bella comes there all kind of obssesed with her. Just a bit. Bella is really a nice and poliet younge woman who just happens to dress excentricly. But the thing is she's a bit jaded because she's never had a friend before. **

**Also, Bella kind of has a way of cussing when she's really mad or surprised. **

**And with the Goth refrence since she's part of the subculture at the bottom I'll have a bit of explanation of the gothic culture.**

* * *

I was in darkness and what little light there was, was coming off of Edward's skin. I saw only his back as he walked away leaving me in the blackness. Usually, I would make my home in the darkness but this time I felt a sense of urgency telling my whole body to get to him no matter what.

But no matter how fast I ran or how loud I called I couldn't catch up with him. I woke up realizing it was just a dream, but I couldn't fall back to sleep and after that he was in my dreams every night, just out of reach.

The month after the accident was intense and annoying. The accident quirked everyone's curiosity about me all over again and I was the center of attention for the rest of the week. Tyler Crowley was also impossibly infuriating. He followed me around; obsessed with making amends to me somehow. I had told him time and time again that the only thing I wanted was for him to stop.

But like the stalker he had recently turned into, he followed me to every class and sat at my lunch table that was now, thanks to the accident, overcrowded. I tried sitting at empty tables but every time I did, they would see me and come sit at whatever table I sat at and by then it was too late because all the other tables were filled. Golden Boy Newton and Chess Club Yorkie were even less friendly to Tyler than with each other.

No one seemed concerned about Edward. I explained that he was the superhero who pulled me away and nearly got crushed too. But all of them commented that they hadn't even seen him till the van was pulled away. I knew that I wasn't crazy and this just confirmed it. But why wasn't Van Accident Crowley working to make it up to Edward? I know that he doesn't need to be annoyed but if it's him or me I'm sticking the obsessive "let me make it up to you" stalker on him.

When Edward sat next to me in class as far away as the table allowed he'd pretend I was a ghost. Every now and then his fist would curl up like he was ready to punch me; and it was obvious what the reason was-he regretted saving me from Crowley's van. That fact hurt me more than I'd like to admit. I never cared before what people thought about me but I cared what he thought and that could be my tragic flaw. If you give someone your heart they'll rip it apart.

I was mad at him that he promised to explain himself but didn't. I kept my end of the bargain by not telling anyone. But no matter how he treated me, he did save my life. He saved Charlie any heart break, and as for Renee…he saved her annoyance.

He was already sitting when I entered the classroom. He was wearing a black buttoned down shirt that sleeves were rolled up to his elbows with a red tie, he was also wearing black skinny jeans and converse shoes, his hair was covering one of his eyes.

"Hello Edward," I said trying to be pleasant. He turned his head a fraction of a inch and gave one nod without even looking at me. I didn't try to talk to him again.

Golden Boy Newton was all too happy about the coldness between me and my forced lab partner. It was unsettling to me how my dreams continued though Edward was being less friendly to me than Hannah Montana would be to Amy Lee.

I think Golden Boy was worried I'd be impressed by Edward saving me from death, which was so much more than Mike "saving" me from a hit in the head. He was pleased that Edward's saving me seemed to have the opposite effect. In truth, I was thoroughly impressed with Edward saving me. Golden Boy started to grow confident sitting at the edge of the table 'till Biology Class started ignoring Edward as Edward ignored us.

I tried everything to get Golden Boy to leave me alone from subtle hints to outright telling him to get lost. But nothing worked. I thought this amused Edward because sometimes I'd see him looking at us sideways smirking.

The snow washed away for good after the van accident as if Mother Nature herself was satisfied with that winter's destruction. Golden Boy was sad because he never got to have the snowball fight he was planning and sneak attack Chess Club and Van Accident. But he was happy that a beach trip would be possible soon. I always hated the beach-too many people, too hot, and too much sand.

Gossip Queen Jessica Stanley made another event looming on the horizon evident to me. She called and asked my permission to ask Mike out to the girls' choice dance in two weeks. It took me a moment to realize who she was talking about, I got so used to calling him Golden Boy in my head that I didn't even realize his name, although it was as generic as you could get.

She was surprised when she heard that I wasn't planning to ask him out and her evil bitch voice took a 180 turn.

"It will be really fun." She said halfheartedly when I told her I wasn't going at all. She liked my unexpected popularity much more than my company.

"No, have fun with Go-Mike." I said catching myself, but Gossip Queen had already hung up without saying goodbye.

Gossip Queen wasn't gushing when we were in class and was unusually silent. I could feel myself start to ask what's wrong but refrained. If Golden Boy turned her down; as awful as it was for her, it got me some much appreciated quiet time. Golden Boy was quiet during lunch and walking to Biology too. Wow, those two should turn each other down more often.

He was sitting on the desk before he broached the subject; I could feel Edward sitting beside me; so close and yet so far.

"So Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

"That's nice." I said with boredom, Golden Boy seemed to think I was disappointed.

"I told her I'd think about it." He said looking into my eyes.

"Why?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking that you'd want to ask me." He said with a grin.

I noticed Edward's head tilt towards me in my peripheral vision.

"Why would you think that?"

"Did you already ask someone?" He asked looking shocked and his gaze flickering to Edward, which I hoped Edward didn't notice.

"Not that it's any of your business but no, I didn't. I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" Golden Boy demanded.

"I'm not into school dances, plus I'm going to Seattle that Saturday." I shrugged.

"Can't you go some other weekend?"

"Why would I want to?" I asked seeing any reason he could possibly have.

"So you and I could go to the dance together." He said giving a seductive smile that didn't work on me in the slightest.

"Not interested." I said as politely as I could. "And you should answer Jessica, it's rude to not at least give her an answer."

"Yeah." He said dazed, probably from a girl actually saying no to him. Has anyone ever said no to him before? He walked away dejectedly, playing up the sadness a little too much. I pressed my fingers to my temples to start working out the monster headache Golden Boy had given me when Mr. Banner began talking so I sighed and opened my eyes.

Edward was staring at me curiously with a familiar edge of frustration even more distinct in his eyes that were now the same wicked shade as when I first saw him.

I stared back at him and it surprised me when he didn't look away. He stayed gazing into my eyes and I lost myself, trapped in the black holes he had for eyes. I started to tremble lightly.

"Mr. Cullen?" The teacher called and Edward turned unwillingly to him.

"The Krebs Cycle," he answered a question I hadn't heard in his crushed velvet voice.

I immediately turned back to my book and attempted to find my place. I couldn't believe the rush of emotions I felt, for the first time I didn't feel annoyance or anger to him. That was a dangerous thing.

I worked the rest of the hour indifferent towards him…OKAY! Attempting to act indifferent towards him. When the bell finally rang, I turned my back to put everything into my Emily the Strange messenger bag/purse, and I expected Edward to get out of the room like a bat out of hell like he always does.

"Bella?" He asked in the already familiar crushed velvet voice of his.

I unwillingly turned to him, he had me feeling things I've never felt and that unnerved me. My expression was wary, his was unreadable. I resolved to talk to him as if he was anyone else.

"What? Are you suddenly going to talk to me now? Did whatever demonic spell you were under wear off?"

"No, not really," he said with amusement.

"No to talking to me or no as in your still being possessed?" I asked with a smirk.

"I'm not sure. Both? Neither?" Okay now he's just trying to annoy me. I felt my temper flare but it's only mixed with the usual other emotion I always felt around him.

"Then what the fuck do you want?" I asked turning away from him and graving my Nightmare Before Christmas gel pen.

"I'm sorry." He sounded sincere, for once. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's for the best this way."

"I have absolutely no idea what you mean."

"It's better if we weren't friends, trust me." I narrowed my eyes, why should I trust him? And "it's better if we're not friends", that's basically the stupid old saying, it's not you, it's me thing.

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," I said bored with a pleasantly detached expression. "You could of saved yourself the monster amount of regret."

"Regret?" He asked his eyes widening. "Regret for what?"

"Not letting the damn van crush me." I hissed. He looked at me astonished and stared at me with disbelief.

"You think I regret saving you from the van with its imbecile driver?" He asked mad.

"I know you do," I snapped. "Same as I know that I will never befriend a cheerleader." I added.

"You don't know anything." He said defensively, I just rolled my eyes and walked out of class. As I was walking away someone bumped my bag out of my hand. I thought about leaving it there, but sighed and reached for it. Edward was already there, holding my bag out to me with a murderous expression.

"Thank you," I said cold as ice.

"Your welcome," he retorted in white hot anger.

With that I stalked off to Gym while he went to whatever class he had next.

Gym was annoying. We moved on to basketball. For the benefit of everyone I stayed at the far end of the court and out of the way. I fell a lot but everyone was mostly too scared of what I'd do to them to even look, sometimes I even took people down with me. On accident of course. My already short temper was even shorter since Edward kept creeping into my thoughts.

I was as glad as a mummy in a bandage sale to leave. I rushed to my truck which luckily had only suffered minimal damage. I had to get new taillights and my paint job was from about the sixties so I didn't have to touch it up. Van Accident Crowley had to sell said van as scraps.

I nearly killed Chess Club when I saw his dark figure leaning on my truck.

"Hello, Eric." I greeted since he was on the driver's side of my truck and I couldn't just drive off and pretend I didn't see him.

"Hi, Bella."

"What's up?" I asked unlocking the door now that he had moved.

"Would you…I mean if you want….it could be fun…to go to the spring dance with me?" He asked taking me by surprise.

"I thought it was a girls' choice." I said surprised, first Golden Boy was asking me to ask him and now Chess Club was asking me.

"Well, yeah. It is but…" he trailed off looking bashful.

"Thanks for asking it's…flattering really. But I'm going to Seattle that weekend."

"Maybe some other time." He asked hopeful and I didn't want to do anything mean to him. I've had people be mean to me before and I wouldn't want to do that to him.

"Um…maybe." I said hoping he got the no I was trying to be nice about slouched off back toward the school. Then I heard a chuckle.

Edward was walking past the front of my truck, he was looking straight forward with his lips pressed tightly together. Jackass. I yanked my door open and jumped in. I revved up my engine and backed out. And what do you know? Edward was being his usual asshole self and pulled out in front of me and stayed there waiting for his siblings that I couldn't see.

Dumbass. If he's got to wait for his siblings don't pull out, and definitely don't pull out and then stop. A line was forming behind me with Van Accident in a newly purchased used Sentra. I considered taking out the back of his shiny Volvo but there were too many witnesses.

I sat there and tried to not look at him in case I snapped and crushed his stupid shiny Volvo when I heard a knock on the opposite side of my window. It was Van Accident. I glanced in my rear view mirror and not only was his car still running but the door was left open, the idiot. I rolled what little of the window down as far as I could.

"Sorry, I'm stuck behind Cullen." I said annoyed.

"I know, I just wanted to ask you something while were trapped here." Oh shit. "Will you ask me to the spring dance?" He grinned.

"I'm not going to be in town." I said accenting each syllable, my patience was at a breaking point. First Golden Boy, then Chess Club, and now Van Accident.

"Yeah, Mike said that."

"Then why would-"

He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."

I glared, yeah I was letting Golden Boy down easy, just like I was letting him. I should of just told him no, he deserved it.

"No, I'm really going out of town."

"That's cool. We still have prom." He said before leaving. Who does he think he is? Saying that like there's no doubt that I'll say yes, like I'd be caught dead at any prom. Unless of course it was a Halloween prom, that'd be wicked.

Then I saw Edward's siblings climb into the Volvo and caught Edward's gaze looking at me as he shook with laughter. My foot was inching to the gas pedal by itself, it wouldn't hurt any of them, just ruin some of that pretty paint job. But they speed away before I got the chance.

I muttered curses the whole way home.

When I got home I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process that would allow me a chance to calm down. While I was simmering the onions and chilies the phone rang. I didn't want to answer it because it might have been my mom calling to ask me to do who knows what or babble about her day. I answered it anyway because I loved to hang up on her and then tell her that there was a lot of static because of the rain.

It was Gossip Queen Jessica Stanley, and she was happier than a vampire at a blood bank. Golden Boy had given her the answer she had wanted. I suggested that she tell Angela to ask Eric out and Lauren to ask out Tyler. Angela was the shy girl in my Biology class who was quiet and nice and I enjoyed her quiet company much more than my group of "friends". I had noticed whenever Angela was around Eric she would blush and look at him every so often, she liked him-it was obvious. Lauren, who was the Queen Bee for our year deserved Tyler and his stalkerish ways. She'd enjoy the nonstop attention.

Gossip Queen agreed that it was an excellent idea and was a bit more sincere in asking me to go. Yet I could feel in my gut that she still wanted retaliation against me after the whole chastising her about gossiping about the Cullens and the whole Poor new girl, at the dance all alone. I guess that the Goth thing would be an excellent way to do that. I just gave her the Seattle excuse.

After hanging up I sighed, socializing with people was draining. I started dinner again and while I was chopping the chicken my mind went to Edward of its own accord. Analyzing everything he'd ever said to me, what could he possibly mean by it was better if we weren't friends?

Then, with my stomach twisting as if it had its own little cannibalistic monster I understood. He saw how much I watched him, how I hung on his every word. Knowing something was different about him, that for the first time I met someone who I believed could relate to me. But he didn't want a friend, he had his family. I was no use to him and he didn't want to put in the effort since once we graduated we'd probably never see each other again.

Well that's fine. I had lived seventeen years without a friend, I can survive longer. And I'll leave him alone. I would be the "ghost that sat beside him for forty five minutes during science." I would get through the last two years of high school and hopefully get a scholarship from some school around more understanding people. Somewhere in Europe perhaps. I focused back on dinner and put the enchiladas in the oven.

Charlie was surprised when he came home and smelled green peppers. The closest Mexican food that wouldn't make you vomit was probably in Southern California. Which I never understood, if it's usually hot outside why would someone want to eat hot and spicy food?

But Charlie was still a cop so he was brave enough to take the first bite. I think he liked it because than he took another bite. It's fun to watch him learn to trust my culinary powers.

"Dad?" I asked when he was done.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to Seattle a for the day a week from Saturday. That okay with you?"

"Why?"

"Books, Clothes, CD's, stuff like that." I said, itching to get such things, the library mostly has books on old town history and anything donated which meant old magazines and books from the school that were so poorly mistreated that I was afraid if I even touched it, it'd break.

All the stores sold were flannels, jeans, and plain shirts. And there were absolutely no CD stores. One of the few downfalls of my truck is it couldn't be very good in gas mileage, what I saved on the truck was going to gas.

"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," he said.

"I know, I'll stop anywhere I have to."

"All by yourself?" He asked surprised. I rolled my eyes, I had been doing things by myself for seventeen years I think I could handle a trip to Seattle.

"Yeah."

"Seattle's pretty big, Bells, you could easily get lost." Charlie said in a worried tone and I was again shocked at his sincere tone. He really cared about my health and safety, I almost cried right then but that'd give the poor guy a heart attack and ruin my eyeliner.

"Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle," I said, I ought to know, I have been in every road in Phoenix doing something or other for Renee and her omnipresent boyfriend. "And I can read a map." Another thing I had learned out of necessity.

"Do you want me to come with you?"  
There he was doing it again, caring, something I've never had done to me before. But I couldn't accept, I am a very independent person and I don't know how to deal with company.

"That's okay; I'll probably in dressing rooms all day. Very boring."

"Okay." The thought of dressing rooms immediately put him off, typical guy.

"Thanks though." I said because it actually did mean a lot to me that he cared.

"Will you be back in time for the dance?"

I froze and looked at him horrified.

"Not really your scene?" He asked realizing my scene would be much more on the end of raves and picnics in the cemetery.

"No," I laughed.

The next morning, when I pulled in the parking lot I purposely made sure that I was as far away from the silver Volvo as possible. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temptation and kill someone, or at least owe him a new car. I had decided since there probably wasn't going to be any ice I put on a Gothic Lolita outfit. I was wearing a black skirt that came to my knees with white bows and a black long sleeve high necked black tailored top with white lace. I put on combat boots that came to my ankles with black stockings. I had applied no makeup and put my hair up in pigtails along with the headband that were held up with the same intricate white frills. The headband was black.

When I got out of the truck I fumbled with my keys and they dropped into a puddle at my feet. As I reached down to get it, a white blur moved over them and I jerked up in surprise. Edward Culled was right next to me, leaning causally on my truck as if this was a regular occurrence.

"How the hell do you even do that?" I asked, amazed and irritated at the same time.

"Do what?" He asked all faked innocence as he dropped the key into my palm.

"Appear out of thin air."

"Bella it's not my fault you're exceptionally unobservant." Yeah, sure, I'm unobservant. I purposely parked as far away from him as possible and he got here in two seconds.  
I scowled at him; his eyes were a light deep golden honey color today.

"What's with the traffic jam yesterday?" I demanded still annoyed. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not pissing me off."

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered.

"You…" I don't think I have a bad enough word. My anger was white and red hot at the same time, it should burn him but he only seemed more amused. How dare he, he had no right to do that.

"And I'm not pretending you don't exist."

"Then you're what? Trying to piss me off? Or are you trying to irritate me to death since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"

His eyes came alight with anger, and his lips pressed into a tight line.

"Bella, you are utterly absurd." He said in a cold voice.

My palms tingled, I wanted to hit something. Badly. How dare he say I'm absurd, first he gives me the death glare when I did absolutely nothing to him, then he disappears for weeks, saves me from a van, and promptly acts like I don't exist. And I'm absurd? I turned around and walked away.

"Wait," he called. I just kept walking.

"I'm sorry, that was very rude of me, true, but rude." He said catching up to me.

"Just leave me alone."

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me. Which reminds me, I quite enjoy your choice of attire today."

I stopped dead in my tracks turning to him. "What?" I tried to stop my blush but I didn't have very much luck.

"I was wondering if a week from Saturday, you know the day of the spring dance-"

"You're very funny." I said turning away from him.

"Wait," he said and when I turned I saw his face. He was wickedly amused. "Can I finish?"

I bit my lip and locked my hands in a death grip. So I wouldn't do anything to wind myself up in a jail cell.

"I heard you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."

Now that surprised me. "With who?"

"Myself." He said, speaking slowly as if I was stupid.

"Why?" I asked, so far he had gone from hating me, to ignoring me, to annoying me. Why would he offer to drive me to Seattle?

"Well I was planning on going there soon anyway. And I don't think your truck can make it."

"My truck works just fine. But thank you for your concern." I started to walk away again but he called me again.

"Yes, I know it works fine for something from the fifties. But can it make it their on one tank of gas?"

"None of your business." I said, stupid shiny Volvo owner.

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business."

"Honestly, I thought you said you didn't want to be friends."

"I said it'd be better if we weren't friends, I never said I didn't want to be."

"Gee, thanks, that's cleared up." I said with heavy sarcasm, he seemed to understand it.

"It'd be better for you if we weren't friends, but I can't stay away from you anymore Bella." He said with intense eyes that had me losing my breath.

"Go to Seattle with me?" He asked, and since I couldn't talk with the whole no breathing thing I just nodded. I was under the spell of his eyes, and I didn't want the spell to be broken. He smiled.

"You really should stay away from me; I'll see you in class." He said intensely before he turned and walked into the school.

* * *

**The Gothic subculture is not just about the steryotipical teenagers in all black in there black painted bedrooms with flickering candlelight wrighting about there angst. The whole Gothic movment started about four hundred years ago with Gothic Art, Gothic Archictoter, Gothic Lituture (also known as Gothic Novles.) Goth is also an Asthetic, which is what somoene lives there life by, like a set of codes or morels. **

**The Gothic asthetic is about finding beauty in unexpected places and relizes that the world isn't always a good place and it's not always fun and everyone has feelings of being all alone and it's okay to recognize that.**

**It's also a musical movment after Punk Rock. Not all Goth's listen to Gothic music, there's more to being Goth then the music you listen to. There is no set religion to being a Goth, theres Goths of every religion, theres Goths of no religion. **

**Goth also has plenty of Whimsy and Goth has a healthy dose of Vampires, but Goths don't belive their vampires. Vampires are fun to read, write, and watch movies about. Which is why I'm doing this. And black humor jokes, like hitting classmates with sledgehammers, or adding them to The List, thoes are JOKES. They arn't meant to be taken seriously.**

**There are sevral diffrent types of Gothic fashon the main ones are: Steampunk, Vampire/vampire/Vampyre, Cybergoth, Neovictioran, Deathrock, Romantic, and a lesser known one called Cupcake Goth, which is combing black and another "nongoth" color, such as pale cotten candy pink or a bright color. Now there are defintly plenty of others but thoes are the main ones that most goth looks can be catorgied in. **

**Not all Goths dress excentricly and are more in deep jewle tones, and theres Goths of every occupation which means any job you may have you don't know if your coworker has a bookshelf full of Anne Rice, and all of Bowhoses CDs.**

**Now Goths are not: Violent, Murders, Depressed, into Self Harm, Belive they are Vampires or part of the dead, or pretty much anything the Media says Goths are. As a rule of thumb, if the media says it it's probaly a lie. *I have proof of that.***

**If you want to know more I suggest you go on or watch Tim Burton movies, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride or Alice in Wonderland. Think Bettlejuice and The Addams Family.**

**_Alright, that was the big explanation of the Gothic Subculture. I am happy to say I've got no Anti-Goth reviews yet but I hope this will stop from ever getting any. I also hope this will help some of you understand the Gothic Subculture and shed light on the dark clad masses. If any one has a qustion about this you can PM me, wright it in a review, I accept anionimes reviews so even if you don't have an account you can ask. And if anyone feels I am not protraying the Gothic Subculture in it's full capatancy please tell me. _**


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